EDITORIAL: Non-Competitive Russia

Russia dropped three places to #66 on the list, significantly worse than its position on the list of nations ranked by nominal GDP per capita (#56). Countries like Vietnam, Uruguay and Panama are all more economically competitive than Russia. The USA is #5 on the list.

Of course, you really don’t need the WEF to tell you Russia is not competitive. Just walk into the nearest store and see if you find any Russian products there. Should you find them, see if it’s something you’d consider buying. You’ll quickly see that in terms of consumer products the nation of Russia does not even really exist at all.

The reason for Russia’s total failure is obvious: The country is ruled by a proud KGB spy whose interest in economic competitiveness is no greater than was that of the rulers of the USSR. It’s telling that just as the new GCI data was being released, the KGB spy who runs the Collective Security Treaty Organization, Putin’s answer to the Warsaw Pact, was announcing a new dedication of Russian resources to the suppression of dissent throughout post-Soviet space.

In other words, instead of devoting Russian resources to becoming competitive in marketing consumer products across the globe, the only thing the dictatorial Putin regime wants to export is fear and repression, just as was the case in Soviet times.

Cutting down on the flow of information and self-criticism is exactly the opposite of competitiveness. Without such information and criticism, it is impossible for an nation to recognize its own faults, and if it can’t recognize them it can’t reform. This is what brought down the USSR. The country did nothing but tell itself how perfect it was, and it jailed anyone who said otherwise (or sent them to an insane asylum, or killed them or exiled them). As a results its faults only got bigger and bigger, until the entire nation ultimately collapsed.

Americans have a clever saying: “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame ME!” Shame on Russians. People who make the same mistake over and over do not deserve the prosperous, happy lives that come from high competitiveness. They deserve to suffer in darkness until, once again, their society collapses.

auriga, YES they do WHY. Oh, by the way russia tried to lease the city of Vladivostok to Chinese for 75 years so that chinese would build a modern city of of that all crap call vladivastock – do you know, by any chance, whcy chinese refused that generous offer???

NYT: Postal Service Is Nearing Default as Losses Mount
The United States Postal Service has long lived on the financial edge, but it has never been as close to the precipice as it is today: the agency is so low on cash that it will not be able to make a $5.5 billion payment due this month and may have to shut down entirely this winter unless Congress takes emergency action to stabilize its finances.
“Our situation is extremely serious,” the postmaster general, Patrick R. Donahoe, said in an interview. “If Congress doesn’t act, we will default.”

In recent weeks, Mr. Donahoe has been pushing a series of painful cost-cutting measures to erase the agency’s deficit, which will reach $9.2 billion this fiscal year. They include eliminating Saturday mail delivery, closing up to 3,700 postal locations and laying off 120,000 workers — nearly one-fifth of the agency’s work force — despite a no-layoffs clause in the unions’ contracts.

The post office’s problems stem from one hard reality: it is being squeezed on both revenue and costs.

If USPS cannot compete, it should go out of business. Truly private companies will take over should this happen. UPS, FedEx and many others will do the same thing cheaper and more efficiently. It would be a good day for America, not an end of it that you are dreaming about

You understand very little, apparently, about U.S. constitutional system. Congress surely has a right to establish postal services; it is not required to do so. In fact, USPS was in the past a cabinet-level agency, but has been a semi-private corporation since the first Nixon administration, I believe.

USPS is not a US Government agency. It funds itself exclusively by selling stamps etc. Congress does not give them a dime. The only vestige of a former status as a U.S. agency is that Congress can still regulate them in some ways, such as setting rates and the like

Then it went out of business and suddenly it wasn’t so good, government started to throw trillions to save others like Fanny Mae in stead of letting them out of business. Why did they?
Oh, by the way, BofA is about to follow. Or at least it is about to layoff 40.000.
Obamas plan to pump money yet again to keep unemployment from rising is working well isn’t it?

Thousands of people stood in line for free dental services Friday at a church in Woodstock.

The two-day clinic at First Baptist Church of Woodstock on Hwy. 92 is being sponsored by the Georgia Dental Association and its Foundation for Oral Health.

“The line went around the building, all the way through the parking lot and around a warehouse,” said Dr. Richard Smith, who practices in Atlanta. He estimated the line at 2,000 yards and said that at its peak, 4,000 people were in line.

UGA student Jasen Scrivens, 24, of Winder arrived at 1 a.m. hoping to have some unfinished dental work completed.

“About three months ago I had some work done and it cost me a good bit of money and I never got it finished — I couldn’t afford the rest of it — so I came to see if I could get the rest of it done,” he said. He estimated he had spent $3,800 on the work so far.

Not only does he or she think they can produce such cars and planes, but he has made a number of statements trying to prove that they actually ALREADY do. But then why doesn’t Aeroflot fly any domestic planes? And why don’t I see any Lada dealerships anywhere in the United States? I guess these questions shall remain unanswered.

RV, you really underestimate the number of Ladas in Europe. And, of course, half of the CIS cars are ladas – though all western cars are perfectly available. Should be a reason why the market prefers Ladas, no?

I am sure Ladas can be sold due to their price advantage. And that can be a big factor in certain parts of Europe. I am sure there will be not too many in Western Europe, and of course, no cars like that can be successful in the Untied States.

The same applies to Trabants, Skodas and Yugos and similar Eastern European trash. Even when Yugos were super-cheap, back in the 80’s, they were able to compete in the U.S. only for a few years.

dymasza, you pathetic baboon, the ‘russian’ ladas are the prehistoric fiat model 1948 that the soviet union bought from Italy or was given by Italy to the starving, poverty stricken soviet union – this early model has been produced in russia without any improvement for over sixty years.

The reason why the CIS/russian market prefers Ladas is that THIS CHEAP OLD JUNK [BUT STILL BETTER THAT THE RUSSIAN ‘[PRODUCTION; E.G., ZIL, ETC] IS THE ONLY CAR THE HORDES OF STARVING RUSSIANS CAN EFFORD.

Well. Industry was barely surviving for 20 years. It can not provide enough aircrafts. Regional companies were unable to purchase new jets, nor maintain existing ones properly.
Auto industry is in a little better shape, but still quite bad.

But it was there for 20 years and slightly improving now (especially autos, see statistics of cars produced in Russia).
With US it is different picture. Life was exceptionally good for a half of century and gets worse. As US economy depends on consumption, disastrous deflation spiral is possible. Layoffs cause decline in consumption, economy stagnates causing more layoffs.

People can live in poverty for a long time, and be ok, but decline from high standards to mediocre can make them very angry. And Americans hold lots of weapons…

Thank you for the wonderful link, honey, you’re our smartest – as usual:D

The US car production, 2000: 12,8M units. 2010: 7,8M units (-40%).

Russia, 2000: 1,2M units. 2010: 1,4M units (+16%).

China, 2000: 2M units. 2010: 18M units (+800%).

Somehow this evolution over a decade makes me think one of the named is currently perfectly described by the words “a failing state”. And it’s not Russia, dear. Maybe China?

PS. Taken into account the numbers we have, guess how many cars would be produced in the US in 2020? Wrong. Only 3,29M units. 1 local car a year per 100 people. Know why? Because production actually fell 35% in just five last years, since 2005.

PPS. That would mean you, living in a country without any public transport, will simply drive Chinese cars in 2020. Congratulations.

Russia has half as many people as the USA but produces SEVEN TIMES fewer cars. That’s 3.5 TIMES fewer per capita. You’re proud of that? Proud of producing less than Thailand? People who live in glass houses . . .

Oh and, by the way, those Russian cars you’re making, how are you doing selling them in France and Japan and the USA? USA is doing rather well . . . and in Russia too!

No way, dude, there’s hardly many US-made cars sold in Russia:) Never know about Japan, and France, maybe it’s the case there. But I think you really still believe that Ford and GM – that pay USD 20-30M in taxes in the US per year, produce most of their cars outside of the US, and sell most outside – stay US companies? I think your views are little bit outdated then. I mean, let’s get you out of 70ies already?:)

It’s a shame the author of this comment doesn’t know where the profits earned on the sale of all those cars goes. American pockets.

Also a shame he doesn’t read his own writing. He said Russians don’t by American cars. He’s an idiot, but at least smart enough not to read his own drivel. Exposed in one lie, tell another! That’s the Russian way.

And, by the way, how many Russian cars made in America does RUSSIA sell, my dear?

So you actually can’t tell “US made” from “Made in Russia by an American brand”?

And why do you need to go as far as claiming my words “there’s hardly many US-made cars sold in Russia” read like “Russians don’t by [buy?] American cars”?

Why can’t you stop lying even now, LR?

And you call me an idiot after saying a thing like “doesn’t know where the profits earned on the sale of all those cars goes”? My, honey, Ford pays USD 25M in taxes in the states, and much more in Russia. Their managers get more money as a compensation from the US budget, so without ford the US would actually be richer:)))

russia has a medical and dental services at the same level as uganda, zaire, and bangladesh. There is one thing though – in zaire, uganda and bangladhes you may stil find western educated doctors -while in russia, the doctors should be called witch doctors, dearie..

Looks like you have never been to Uganda, Zaire, Bangladesh and most probably never have been to Russia. I’m living here and I see that your words are nonsense.
Of course dental medicine (especially implants) is quite expensive, and almost never included into med insurance provided by employer, but general treatment is affordable.
I for example would not stay for two days in queue for free dental service. I earn around $360 in two days, and my work is paid according to time sheet. And only mentioned above high tech dental prosthetics is sufficiently above that sum.
People who can spend 2 days in queue to get a free dental service are extremely poor.

Medicare is a program only for senior citizens (i.e., those of 65 years or older) and for some disabled persons. There is also a large program called Medicaid which is for the poor. And neither Medicare nor Medicaid covers most of dental services.

Here everybody can get a free dentist services. Some of these state-paid dentists are bad, and can only do basic care, some are satisfactory, but they all are free to every citizen. I think, same is more or less true for most countries in Europe.

auriga, I was in russia once, NEVER AGAIN, The only thing I remember is the horror of russian public toilets e..g., et Kurskiy Vagzal – walls covered with excrements in shapes of human hands up to the ceiling in truly russian artistic style – this sh#$%to wall was perfect background for the lenin’s portret that was hanging there. ONLY IN RUSSIA!!!!!!!!!!!

And there is sociological research demonstrating that a large portion of our homeless person could have housing, even heavily Government-subsidized or free, but for a variety of reasons are unwilling or unable to do so, mostly due to mental disease or alcoholism. Huge numbers of them were formerly institutionalized in mental and psychiatric facilities, but then President Reagan decided to let them go.

First and foremost, it is being proposed that the status of a person with no place of residence by law is confirmed. Otherwise, it is impossible to so much as count these people. How many of them are there? We know there are about approximately 300,000 – and that is just those brought to police departments and included in police reports. In the MOI, representatives believe that there are 4.5 million homeless persons in Russia, including about 100,000 homeless living in Moscow.

When MSF began its program for the Moscow homeless population in May 1992, there were about 30,000 homeless persons in Moscow—30,000 persons with no access to medical or social services. In response, MSF started providing emergency medical consultations for them in the capital’s train stations; the organization’s main objective was, and today remains, to increase access to preventive and curative health care for the homeless and to facilitate their re-integration into society.

Today there are estimated to be over 100,000 homeless persons living in Moscow and over 4 million living across Russia. Yet still there is no social approach to the problem and no social answer. Last winter, 430 people, 90% of them homeless, died of cold in the streets. In the last year, 806 homeless persons died on the streets.

Over 700,000 orphans live in Russia, increasing at the rate of 113,000 per year. UNICEF estimates that 95% of these children are social orphans, meaning that they have at least one living parent who has given them up to the state.

In 2003, parental rights were revoked for approximately 51,000 citizens of Russia. In 2005, this number increased to 70,000.

2,176 orphanages exist in Russia as of today. The number of orphanages has increased by more than 100% in the last decade.

Statistics on orphans graduating from orphanages/institutions compiled by the Russian Ministry of Education are as follows:
Approximately 15,000 children leave Russian orphanages each year, usually at the age of 16 or 17 years of age
50% of orphans after graduation fall into a high-risk category
40% become involved in crime
10% commit suicide
33% stay unemployed
20% become homeless
Only 4% are admitted to universities

Population

2.5 million children are homeless, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Over 5% of children born in Russia in 2001 became homeless.

50% of children in Russia are born into poverty-stricken families.

During the last 10 years, the number of children in Russia has decreased by 4 million.

Russia’s population shrank by 348,700 people in the first six months of 2006, down to 142.4 million. If today’s demographic situation continues in the same path, by the year 2025 Russia’s population could drop to 125 million; by the year 2100, the population could be as low as 64 million.

Health issues

617,000 Russian children are disabled.

Every day in Russia, some 20 babies are born to HIV-positive mothers. Two of those, on average, are abandoned at birth. According to UNICEF, more than 50,000 children in Russia have been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.

The Russian Health Ministry reports that a stunning 60% of the country’s youth are in poor physical or psychological health.

Approximately 70% of medical equipment in Russian hospitals is outdated, in ill repair or simply broken down.

How do you think they count homeless? Go here and there and list hobos? Of course, no.
In the eyes of statistics, I’m homeless. No seriously. I have no “registration”.
In Russia people have to go to police, pass bureaucratic procedure to officially confirm they are living at their home. Absence of this can cause troubles, but gives certain benefits too. Government doesn’t know your location, sometimes it is really helpful.

So with the other statistics and famous institutions. Name of the agency is not important. The procedure – how did they gather their data in the field – it is important.

They actually do. The article that our bright mishist names as source, says: 300,000 homeless persons were counted. This number includes all who were spotted on the street and brought to police to be sent to bathes and hospitals. And then, the journalist adds, “though some in the ministry put the number of homeless in Russia as high as 4,5M”. So where did the numbers come from? From “some in the ministry”?

Listen Dtard, you are of truly subhuman intellect if you think the there are fewer than 4,000,000 homeless in Russia.

From Russia Today:

First and foremost, it is being proposed that the status of a person with no place of residence by law is confirmed. Otherwise, it is impossible to so much as count these people. How many of them are there? We know there are about approximately 300,000 – and that is just those brought to police departments and included in police reports. In the MOI, representatives believe that there are 4.5 million homeless persons in Russia, including about 100,000 homeless living in Moscow.
Counting and officially registering all beggars is necessary not so they can be immediately jailed. It is important to understand why a specific person has found himself living on the streets. Criminal psychologists are confident that only 7% are homeless due to “ideological beliefs”. They, indeed, need to be isolated from society. Others, on the other hand, should be helped.
Who is a modern beggar? MOI statistics show that almost half of all homeless persons are ex-cons who under the old Soviet laws were discharged from housing due to their arrest. Today this law under which a person loses housing if assigned a guilty verdict by the court is no longer in effect. But affected persons remain. Not many were able to win back in court their square footage after returning from “the zone”. Former prisoners continue to join the ranks of the homeless today. Annually about 250,000 persons are released from jail.

Try and remember Dtard, that this is Russia Today, a Kremlin mouthpiece. If they are saying 4.5 million, can you imagine how bad it really is?

And Auriga, given that you are not registering shows that you are little more than a hypocrite, as it gives benefits that the authorities do not know where you are, I thought you loved and worshiped dear Vladimir?

Andrew, hey, sources were not named so far. You should provide some proofs you did not lie when you said “In Russia 4,000,000 people are homeless out of 140,000,000”.

BTW, even RT in the link you provide does not say so. Neither the MIA does. Some unknown “guys from the MIA” did elaborate on what they think the number might be, but you claimed what you name *is the number*,- so provide the source please –

There is a list of institututions in the report, who measure the ‘competitiveness’. Normally it’s some for of local institutions for economy.
For Neitherlands it’s ‘INSCOPE: Research for Innovation, Erasmus University
Rotterdam’, for Zimbabwe it’s ‘Graduate School of Management, University of Zimbabwe’.

But for Russia it’s ‘Bauman Innovation & Eurasia Competitiveness Institute’.
And noone of the researchers is Russian. Is there any other country wich was researched by outsiders exclusively? And why is that?

The Sakhalin–Khabarovsk–Vladivostok pipeline is a natural gas pipeline in Russia, transporting Sakhalin’s gas to the most populated regions of the Russian Far East (Khabarovsk Krai and Primorsky Krai). It is also projected to become a part of international export route, carrying Russian gas to East Asian countries, such as People’s Republic of China, South Korea and Japan. The pipeline is owned and operated by Gazprom. The first part of the pipeline was opened on 8 September 2011.
Contents [hide]
1 History
2 Route
3 Technical description
4 Supply source
5 Owner
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
[edit]History

The project was announced in September 2007, when the Russian Federation’s Industry and Energy Ministry approved the gas Development Program for Eastern Siberia and the Far East.[2] It was aimed to reduce utility prices in the Russian Far East by replacing expensive coal and petroleum at the regional power and heating plants with cheaper natural gas.[1]
The pipeline project was approved by Gazprom’s board of directors on 23 July 2008. At the same meeting, Gazprom’s board of directors agreed to purchase the Komsomolsk–Khabarovsk pipeline, commissioned in November 2006 by Daltransgaz, a former subsidiary of Rosneft.[3][4] Design and exploration work was completed by November 2008 and working documentation was prepared by April 2009.[5]
Construction was launched on 31 July 2009 in Khabarovsk with a ceremony, which was attended by the Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.[2][6] The pipeline was opened on 8 September 2011. The opening ceremony on Russky Island was again attended by the Prime Minister Putin.[1][7]
The first gas consumer in the Primorsky Krai became Vladivostok combined heat and power plant 2 (CHPP-2), which was converted from coal to natural gas. In early 2012, also CHPP-1 and heating plant in Severnaya will be converted to natural gas.[8][9]
[edit]Route

The 1,822-kilometre (1,132 mi) Sakhalin–Khabarovsk–Vladivostok gas transport system consists of three sections.[2][10] The Khabarovsk–Vladivostok section together with the first phase of the Sakhalin–Komsomolsk section, supplying gas from the Gazprom’s Far East northern part’s gas fields, creates a 1,350-kilometre (840 mi) pipeline system.[2] The third section is the 472-kilometre (293 mi) Komsomolsk–Habarovsk pipeline, commissioned in 2006.[8] In Khabarovsk, it would be connected also with the proposed Yakutia–Khabarovsk–Vladivostok pipeline.[2]
In Primorsky Krai, the pipeline will feed a planned LNG plant, which would produce LNG for export to Japan, and a planned petrochemical complex.[11][12] There are also plans to supply gas from Vladivostok to Japan and South Korea by subsea pipelines.[10] Alternative route to South Korea is a overland pipeline through North Korea. According to Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, the pipeline through North Korea helps to strengthen of security in East Asia as it allows to meet North Korea’s energy needs and gives to North Korea transit revenue. The project was also discussed during Kim Jong Il visit to Russia in August 2011.[13]
[edit]Technical description

The capacity of the pipeline is 6 billion cubic metres (210 billion cubic feet) of natural gas per year at the first stage, and 30 billion cubic metres (1.1 trillion cubic feet) by 2020, of which 8 billion cubic metres (280 billion cubic feet) would be supplied from Sakhalin.[14][8][2][15] It is expected to cost US$21–24 billion.[16][17][vague]
The diameter of Sakhalin–Komsomolsk and Khabarovsk–Vladivostok pipelines is 1,220 millimetres (48 in) and working pressure is 100 standard atmospheres (10,000 kPa). The diameter of Komsomolsk–Khabarovsk pipeline is 700 millimetres (28 in).[8]
In addition to the three pipelines, the Sakhalin–Khabarovsk–Vladivostok system consists of the Sakhalin main compressor station, a gas distribution station in Vladivostok, power supply, telemechanics, communications systems and access roads.[8]
[edit]Supply source

The pipeline is fed from the Sakhalin-III project with additional gas provided from the Sakhalin-II project.[18] The main supply source is Gazprom-owned Kirinskoye field.[9]
[edit]Owner

The pipeline project was developed by Gazprom Invest Vostok, a subsidiary of Gazprom.[16] The pipeline is operated by Gazprom.[1

The gas sold by this pipeline to China is on a contract basis for some odd years at ridiculously low prices so China would advance the money for not only the project but the gas payment. Oil is being pumped to China at a locked in price of $20.00 a barrel for 20 years under the same terms. I live in Vladivostok and know what I’m talking about. Many of my friends are involved in this project.

They, of course, note that Russia is still vulnerable to oil prices. As always. But I’ve recently found some fresh stats, showing that exports of Russian crude oil are declining, while production grows. Oil is being refined locally and petrol is mostly used locally. Nice sign.

One sign of this change came from Oleg V. Deripaska, the metals and automobile tycoon whose hugely leveraged business came to symbolize the oligarchs’ debt binge and its aftermath in the recession. He announced without fanfare on Tuesday that he had restructured a $4.5 billion loan from the Russian bank Sberbank, extending its repayment period.

To be sure, Russia is hardly a haven, and never will be, as long as it continues its reliance on volatile commodity exports.

In the 20 years since the breakup of the Soviet Union, the Russian stock market has been either in the top five performing markets in the world or the bottom five in every year except one, according to estimates by Renaissance, an investment bank in Moscow.

“Russia has always been a big cyclical market,” Kingsmill Bond, the chief Russia strategist for Citigroup, said in a telephone interview from London. And despite its stronger starting position now, it is still vulnerable to a drop in the price of oil.

“If the situation in Europe worsens, and we get major recessions materializing, that would impact the oil price, and Russia would be damaged,” he said.

Mr. Bond has estimated that for each $10 drop in the average annual price of a barrel of oil, Russia loses 1 percent of its gross domestic product.

Russia can ill afford a sharp decline in the price of oil because, though the oligarchs and their businesses are carrying less debt, government spending has increased well beyond current tax receipts from oil export tariffs and mineral extraction fees.

In 2008, the Russian budget was intended to run a surplus at oil prices above $60 a barrel. But now, the Russian government estimates it will need to collect taxes on oil at prices above $120 a barrel to balance the budget. As they are already below that level, the finance ministry is borrowing from domestic and foreign investors.

And so what? It is about oil dependency. Which indeed exists. Though, with growing internal demand for petrol, this can be helped.
Decline of oil prices would slow influx of oil bucks, but reserves are enough to cover the foreign debt of companies and import can shrink relatively safely.

Do you always resort to personal offenses? When you have no more arguments?
Extraction of mineral resources (all, but oil and gas are, of course, the most profitable) gives around 10% of GNP, while 50% of budget income and biggest share in the export.

No Auriga, I don’t always have to insult people. I don’t insult those with intelligence, but retarded Putinista putanka such as yourself are fair game.

The Russian economy is totally dependent on oil and gas revenues, which make up 80% of export earnings, and the oil and gas industry drives domestic demand.

It is true that the Russian economy is backward, and that oil plays a role in that backwardness. But oil is not the root cause. The causes of Russia’s backwardness lie in its inherited production structure. The physical structure of the real economy (that is, the industries, plants, their location, work forces, equipment, products, and the production chains in which they participate) is predominantly the same as in the Soviet era.

The problem is that it is precisely the oil wealth (the so-called oil rent) that is used to support and perpetuate the inefficient structure. For the sake of social and political stability, a large share of Russia’s oil and gas rents is distributed to the production enterprises that employ the inherited physical and human capital. The production and supply chains in that part of the economy are in effect “rent distribution chains.”

A serious attempt to convert Russia’s economy into something resembling a modern Western economy would require dismantling this rent distribution system. This would be both highly destabilizing, and costly in terms of current welfare. Current efforts for “diversification” do not challenge the rent distribution system. On the contrary, the kinds of investment envisioned in those efforts will preserve and reinforce the rent distribution chains, and hence make Russia more dependent on oil rents.

Even under optimal conditions for investment, any dream of creating a “non-oil” Russia that could perform as well as today’s commodity-based economy is unrealistic. The proportion of GDP that would have to be invested in non-oil sectors is impossibly high. Granted, some new firms, and even entire sectors, may grow on the outside of the oil and gas sectors and the rent distribution chains they support. But the development of the new sectors will be difficult, slow, and costly. Even if successful, the net value they generate will be too small relative to oil and gas to change the overall profile of the economy.

I never insulted you. I don’t consider drastic difference in point of view as a reason to be impolite.
Arguing is pointless, we’ll see who’s right fairly soon. Withing two years according to my calculations.

Reiterate: arguing is pointless. Let’s see what happens when PIIGS start collapsing, or US who have already used up all the hard fought extra limit of debt, or Japan – this will happen soon (within few month) and cause major world-wide crisis, dramatically reducing demand of fuel. This would be a good test of Russian economy.

auriga, russia is IN PERMANENT DOWNTURN FOR CENTURIES, russians are used to starvation, depravation, humiliation, and total neglect, so, yes, you stupid russian baboon, russia is ready for another downturn….

NOTICE: This blog quotes from source material, and links to it. When a post contains quotes and original material, the quotes are in ordinary print and the original in boldface. See "About LR" in the title bar for copyright notice.

Supporting La Russophobe

La Russophobe does not solicit or accept financial support from any source. If you would like to show your support for LR and your opposition to the rise of dictatorship in Russia, the easiest way is to create a Digg or StumbleUpon or Delicious account and use it to favorite some of our posts. LR also welcomes your e-mail comments and submissions for publication, and we urge you to support the effort to boycott of the Sochi Olympics.